german sheperds dogs are used on the farm to heard sheep. what were rothweiler dogs used for ?

Question

How did Rothweiler dogs get their name? As German Shepards got their names from hearding sheep on the farm.

Answer 1

The Rottweiler has an ancestry that goes all the way back to the ancient Roman times of the Roman drover, a Mastiff type dog. The drovers were us ed to herd cattle during the day while the army was traveling, and at night while the soldiers slept it protected the troops from surprise enemy attacks. During Caesar's many travels and conquests some drovers were left behind in the areas of Germany where the natives bred the dogs to perform jobs that they wanted them to do.

In Rottweil, Germany, the town from which this breed derived its name, the breed emerged as the butcher's dog. It proved indispensible to the butcher--it herded the cattle, pulled the meat cart, and held the butcher's money purse. Not many thieves were willing to steal from a Rottweiler, and they still aren't today! I have even heard that in some European countries teams of Rotts were used instead of horses to pull barges through the canals.

When the railroad replaced dog carts, Rottweilers were out of a job and faced the same fate as many of the ancient breeds before them-extinction. Fortunately, peace officers discovered the usefulness of the breed as a police dog, and in 1910 Rotts were officially recognized as police dogs. Rotts also proved to be fine war dogs too, and they were used extensively by both the Allies and the Nazis during World War II.

Hope this answers the question.

Cheers!

Answer 2

I've seen Germans herd with both showline and working line dogs. A dog doesn't NEED a hard temperament for herding. But some of the super bulky roach backed show dogs can't meet the physical demands of the job. The GSD's original purpose was to excel at everything, not to herd sheep. Indeed I believe their purpose was more for military and police than herding (hence why the GSD's founder created Schutzhund as a breeding instrument to test the suitability of the working dog that the GSD is supposed to be). Border Collies can not be compared to GSDs, it's a completely different type of herder. Most herding trials are geared for the BC/Aussie/Cattle dog style of up close and personal herding. Not open range continental style herding that GSDs, and Rottweilers are meant to do. The real GSD is the jack of ALL trades and the master of none. He isn't the fastest, or strongest, or smartest, or the best police dog...but he ranks highly in ALL of these areas making him the best all around dog for any purpose. Versatility is key here. The show lines DO NOT consistently produce dogs capable of being Police Service Dogs. The true GSD is the working line GSD, the other "strains" are the wannabe cousins and inlaws to the GSD.

Answer 3

German Shepherd. Rottweiler. These are the correct spellings. As for the latter, they were used by butchers who drove their cattle to market and returned home with a full purse of gold. The dogs would guard the valuable beasts and its owner with his full purse.
Saffysmum. I grew up in Germany in the late 1950's early 1960's. German shepherds were indeed used to herd sheep just as our collies do over here. The German word for them is Shaeferhund, meaning, sheepdog.
In Germany, Rottweilers are often called "der Metzgerhund" meaning, the butcher's dog.

Answer 4

Sorry you are wrong, German Shepherds were never used to herd sheep they were used to Guard the flocks from other animals or men.The title Shepherd given to the guard breeds, Its Sheep-dog for Herding Breeds.
I think Rottweilers get the name from where they originate but I'm not 100% sure.
I do know that they were used for similar reasons but it was cattle in the Rottwiellers case.
You can usually tell what a Dog was originally bred for by looking at The group they are placed in at Dog Shows.

Answer 5

Rotweiller- also know as the Rotweil Metzger Hund (Rotweil Butcher's Dog).

They originated in the German town of the same name, or at least they became very popular there, and were used as cattle drivers and guard dogs.

Butcher's would tie their money purses round the dog's necks to prevent thieves having a go.

Answer 6

They were a working dog, and I've heard stories of teams of them being used years ago for pulling ploughs and other heavy things.
Nowadays they;r emainly used as a guard dog.
Deeply loyal to its pack, and a very definite force to be reckoned with.
They're a lovable big brute with a soft gentle heart that most people never get to see because they're too scared to look past its aggressive appearance.

Answer 7

Rotties accompanied the farmers and cattle when they went to town to sell their herds. Rotties are more guardians than herders as such. The farmers also put the money they got from the sale of thei stock in bags which were tied around the rotties' necks for safekeeping on the trip home.

Answer 8

The only thing I have ever heard about rothweilers is being a guard dog.

Answer 9

Rottweilers are gurad dogs, in the working dog class.

Answer 10

I like rotties the first one i met was called Echo...